After sheep attacks | "Golden jackals are food opportunists"

The immigration of golden jackals to Germany has been rather secret and under the public radar in recent years. But now, one animal has made national news and even made it into the "Bild" newspaper: On the North Sea island of Sylt, a golden jackal killed dozens of sheep, some even biting off their ears. Initially, around 50 lambs and ewes were reported killed, but by Pentecost, the number had doubled to over 90.

The Schleswig-Holstein Ministry of the Environment has authorized the jackal to be shot. "It's not an easy decision," said Minister Tobias Goldschmidt (Green Party). "A jackal is a protected species, protected under European law. And we in Germany have to be able to live with predators." However, Goldschmidt explained that other factors also played a role in his decision – such as coastal protection on Sylt, which depends on the dike sheep farms.

The hunting permit is valid until the end of July. According to "Spiegel," up to 130 hunters are on hand on the island to enforce it. The television station RTL is monitoring the hunt with a team on site.

Several major environmental organizations in the state, such as BUND and NABU, support the practice, even though golden jackals are protected in Germany. The nature conservation organization WWF, however, views the hunt critically. It is unclear whether the culprit is one or more golden jackals. "In the worst case, it is a leading parent. Removing them could have negative consequences—for example, more attacks," it said.

In any case, the massacre of the Sylt sheep is surprising. Golden jackals are significantly smaller than wolves and barely larger than foxes. According to the German Hunting Association, they reach a maximum weight of 15 kilograms, a shoulder height of up to 50 centimeters, and a body length of up to 90 centimeters, plus an additional 20 to 30 centimeters for their tail.

Additionally, it was previously said that golden jackals only occasionally attack sheep. However, their diet mostly consists of berries and corn, carrion and slaughterhouse waste, insects, amphibians, fish, and occasionally small mammals like mice. This generally still holds true, says golden jackal expert Felix Böcker from the Wildlife Institute of the Baden-Württemberg Forest Research Institute to the "nd": "Golden jackals are food opportunists. This means they feed on things that occur in large numbers and can be obtained with little energy expenditure." At the same time, golden jackals are highly adaptable and adaptive animals, "so there are always individuals that can specialize in certain behaviors."

Böcker has been studying the growing golden jackal population in Germany for ten years. The population is estimated at several hundred animals. There are no exact figures, nor is there a uniform monitoring system. Wild animals that feed on other animals have adapted their hunting behavior to their natural prey over a long period of evolution, explains expert Böcker. Important for hunting success is "that a prey animal can trigger a stimulus in the hunter that causes them to chase and kill the animal."

This behavior is usually triggered once under natural conditions, even when other prey is present. If situations arise in which prey no longer flees – as was likely the case with the fenced-in Sylt sheep – the urge to hunt and kill can be triggered again and again. "This so-called 'surplus killing' is also known to occur in wolves, dogs, foxes, and martens." Often, more is caught than can be eaten. Incidents like the one now on Sylt remain exceptional for the golden jackal, Böcker emphasizes. "Nevertheless, such exceptions will continue to occur in the future."

Whether the Sylt golden jackal, if it escapes the planned execution by shooting, will continue to attack livestock in the future is far from certain for Böcker. While he understands the permit now granted for the Sylt jackal's hunting, he does not see the removal of conspicuous individuals as a fundamental solution to the problem. He believes it is important "that a high-quality, holistic management system is developed for dealing with such animal species." The population of golden jackals in Europe is "developing rapidly." Events like the one on Sylt are an eye-opener for the public and politicians, prompting them to further address the overall situation.